Whatever the reason, Eric was grateful because he enjoyed the male friendship and camaraderie, even if at times he felt like the odd man out, being single while listening to his friends talk about how great their significant others were, or Aiden being completely smitten by his adorable daughter.
But despite being the only single guy in their group, remaining a confirmed bachelor was a conscious choice Eric had made long ago. Not because he was against matrimony or a committed relationship. No, his reasons went much deeper than superficial playboy tendencies, though he had no doubt that’s what a lot of the women he dated pegged him as. It was easier to let them believe that than admit the truth and reveal deeper fears he’d never shared with any woman.
As they finished up their burgers, Eric’s cell phone let out a ping, indicating that one of his apps had pushed through a notification. He knew it wasn’t a text or call for the Prestige Car Service business he ran with Leo, but he picked up his phone and glanced at the message, just to make sure it wasn’t something important.
You have a notification from the Boyfriend Experience app.
Eric frowned, momentarily confused by the notification. He knew what the Boyfriend Experience app was since Dylan had created and designed the software and had been bugging the shit out of him to be a beta tester, but Eric had flatly refused to be one of his guinea pigs. He had no problem getting women on his own, and he had zero interest in pretending to be someone’s significant other for whatever the reason some random woman desired.
Eric knew, without a doubt, that at no time had he downloaded the app to his phone . . . which meant that Dylan was most likely the culprit.
Pushing his empty plate to the side, Eric glanced across the table to confront said culprit. “Hey, Dylan, I just got a notification from the Boyfriend Experience app. Since you’re the developer, care to tell me how the software ended up on my phone without my knowledge or permission?” Then a thought occurred to him and he narrowed his gaze. “Did you hack my phone?” Eric wouldn’t put it past the other guy, because he was certain Dylan was computer savvy enough to do exactly that.
Dylan popped a French fry into his mouth and smirked at Eric while his brothers, Aiden and Leo, looked on with interest. “No need to get your panties in a twist, Miller. I didn’t hack your phone. I’m good, but I’m not that good.”
Eric arched a brow. “Then how did your app, the one I didn’t want any part of, suddenly appear on my phone?”
“It wasn’t sudden,” Dylan clarified. “The program has been on your phone for a while now. I put it on there when you were my partner for trivia night. You conveniently left your phone on the table while you went to the restroom, and it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
Eric remembered that evening . . . mostly, how neurotic Dylan had been about one-upping his current fiancée, Serena, and her then date, mostly out of jealousy. Dylan had won the trivia game and bragging rights, but it had driven a deeper wedge between him and his best girl friend. Luckily, Dylan had realized just how much he loved Serena before he’d lost her for good.
“However,” Dylan went on, a devious gleam in his eyes. “I did just recently activate an account in your name, and since the app was already downloaded to your phone, that data automatically transferred to your profile, which now makes you eligible to receive requests.”
Leo chuckled and shook his head. “Wow, that was kind of ballsy, Dylan.”
Eric agreed and was pissed off. “What the hell would you do that for?”
The other man shrugged as he continued eating his fries. “Just a friendly payback for all the crap you gave me at trivia night. And I thought it would be fun to fuck with your head a little bit. So far, I’m enjoying myself immensely.”
“You’re such an asshole,” Eric said, though he wasn’t completely surprised that Dylan had hijacked his phone. He still hadn’t looked at the app. He was honestly afraid to see what awaited him.
“Oh, for crying out loud,” Dylan said dramatically. “Give me your phone. I’ll take care of it.”
Without thinking through the consequences, Eric unlocked the device and handed it to Dylan, with both of his brothers watching the whole scenario as they finished their beers. He thought Dylan intended to deactivate the app, but when he started typing on the phone’s keyboard, Eric’s suspicions were piqued.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
Dylan didn’t look up from his task. “I’m taking care of it, like I said I would.” His thumbs continued tapping on the screen, longer than Eric felt was necessary. When he was done, he looked up at Eric with a smartass grin.
“There, it’s done,” Dylan announced, much too cheerfully. “I accepted her request for you, and you’re meeting her tomorrow morning at 7:30 at the Espresso Cup to discuss the details of being her temporary boyfriend. Her name is Evie, and judging by her photo, she’s pretty easy on the eyes.”
Jesus Christ. Eric snatched his phone back. “You really are an asshole. How do I retract that message?”
“You can’t.” His friend sat back, clearly enjoying Eric’s annoyance, along with both of his brothers’ amusement as they quietly looked on. “It’s already sent.”
He swore beneath his breath. “I’m not doing this. I’m not going to be some woman’s fake boyfriend.”
Another ping sounded on his phone, and he reluctantly glanced down at the notification on his screen from the Boyfriend Experience app. Evie had already sent him a response.
I’ll be there. I’m looking forward to meeting you. See you in the morning. She followed that up with a smiley face.
Eric groaned in defeat. What did he say to that? Oh, sorry, I changed my mind seconds after setting up a time to meet? He wasn’t that much of a dick. He didn’t know this woman, and any other guy probably wouldn’t have hesitated to rescind the offer, but the thought of her feeling as though he’d personally rejected her, maybe based on her looks, wasn’t his style.
“I don’t see what it could hurt to meet her and hear her out,” Aiden piped in. “It could end up being an interesting date. It’s not like she’s asking you to put a ring on her finger and marry her.”
“This is so not my thing,” he muttered.
“It wasn’t my thing, either,” Leo reminded him with a laugh. “But I have to admit, being Peyton’s fake boyfriend was fun, and as a bonus, I got the girl.”
“You knew Peyton,” Eric pointed out. “You went to college with her and you at least had some kind of history to make the whole relationship thing look believable.”
A sly smile lifted the corner of Leo’s mouth. “I dare you to do this,” his friend challenged.
“I’m going to double down on that dare,” Aiden added, his tone filled with way too much amusement.
“Make it a triple,” Dylan said, clearly wanting in on the bet.
Eric shook his head. Nothing like being ganged up on. “You do realize that I get nothing out of this except being used for some woman’s amusement, right?”
Aiden grinned. “There are far worse ways of being taken advantage of by a member of the opposite sex.”
Eric rubbed his fingers across his forehead, knowing he’d pretty much lost the battle, not because of the three dares his friends had just issued but because it wasn’t in his nature to stand up any female.
He could do this. It was just one date. Like Aiden said, it wasn’t like he was going to marry the woman.
Eric arrived at the Espresso Cup the following Thursday morning, ten minutes earlier than his 7:30 a.m. appointment with Evie Bennett, and took a seat where he had a direct line of sight to the entrance while he waited for her.
Yes, he was now privy to her last name, because once he’d gotten home last night after dinner with the guys, he taken a better look at the Boyfriend Experience app, and Evie’s profile in particular, to see what information he could glean about her.
Not much, he’d quickly realized. Her last name . . . and that was about it, other than her photo. Cons
idering she was doing the hiring, he supposed it wasn’t necessary that she write a bio . . . like the laughable one Dylan had posted for him. He was seriously surprised she’d contacted him after reading the ridiculous, over-the-top paragraph.
If the picture she’d posted was anything to go by, she was very pretty and gave off a girl-next-door kind of vibe. Sweet, unassuming, and the complete opposite of the sophisticated, ambitious, more worldly women he tended to date. Which he chose purposely, because they tended to not be looking for anything more than a good time in bed, and neither was he.
Despite all his objections the previous evening, he was now admittedly intrigued by Evie Bennett, along with the reason she needed to hire a fake boyfriend.
She walked through the doors at 7:29 a.m., and he liked that she was conscientious enough to be on time. Before she spotted him, he did a quick inventory of her appearance. Definitely pretty, with beautiful, shiny brown hair that fell over her shoulders in soft waves. And Jesus Christ, she had the kind of generous hourglass figure a man could lose himself in for hours. The breasts beneath her purple blouse were round and full, and a pair of black skinny jeans outlined her lush hips and accentuated a great pair of legs. He couldn’t wait for her to turn around so he could check out her ass.
Yeah, he definitely liked what he saw.
Shifting on her feet, she glanced around the coffee shop, which was fairly busy with people grabbing a cup of designer java before heading off to work for the day. She bit her bottom lip anxiously, and when he finally stood up, she looked in his direction. As soon as they locked gazes, recognition lit up her face.
He made his way toward her, watching her check him out this time . . . her light blue eyes taking in his facial features, then a quick sweep of his normal office attire—a short-sleeved, collared shirt and a casual pair of khaki pants.
He watched the rise and fall of her breasts as she inhaled and exhaled a deep breath, as if gathering her fortitude before he reached her. The smile she offered him was tentative, and he returned it with a genuine one of his own meant to put her at ease. When he finally stood in front of her, he held out his hand in greeting.
“Evie Bennett, I presume?” he asked.
“Yes.” She slipped her hand into his, her skin soft and warm to the touch, though her grip was impressively firm. “And you’re Eric Miller?”
“I am,” he replied with a nod of his head. “It’s nice to meet you.” And shockingly, he meant it.
A light sweep of pink colored her cheeks. “Same.”
He nodded toward the counter. “Let’s order something to drink before we discuss business. I could use a dose of caffeine. How about you?”
She laughed lightly, relaxing a bit more. “Definitely.”
They joined the short line in front of the register, and he glanced from the billboard listing all the fancy beverages to Evie. “What would you like?”
“I’ll just take a regular cup of coffee.”
“Come on, you can do better than that,” he teased. “You don’t strike me as being that boring.”
She raised a brow, a glimmer of amusement dancing in her eyes. “You’ve come to that conclusion in the two minutes since meeting me?”
“Am I wrong?” he challenged lightheartedly.
“No,” she admitted, a smile tugging at the corner of her very kissable mouth. “I just don’t treat myself to a fancy cup of coffee very often. Normally, I’m too rushed in the morning to indulge myself.”
They took another step forward in line. “Lucky for you, it’s my treat and I insist you indulge.”
She tipped her head, drawing his gaze to the soft tumble of hair falling over her shoulder and how the ends curled right at the upper swell of her breasts. “Shouldn’t I be paying for this, considering the circumstances?”
“Absolutely not,” he replied adamantly, forcibly keeping his gaze on her face instead of her chest. “What boyfriend worth his salt would let his girl pay?”
“I haven’t hired you yet,” she reminded him cheekily.
He grinned. He wasn’t expecting Evie Bennett to be so impudent, and surprise, surprise, he was definitely enjoying their banter, and her. “True. Which means I really need to step up my game and impress you.”
And honestly, when was the last time he’d wanted to make such an effort with the opposite sex? The answer to that eluded him, because truthfully, he couldn’t remember being so fascinated and attracted to a woman beyond her physical features. Yet there was no denying that Evie’s feisty disposition drew him in and made him want to learn more about her. Which he needed to do anyway if she was going to hire him. And make no mistake, they weren’t parting ways until he’d sealed the deal, because she was in the market for a temporary boyfriend, and now that he’d met her, like his campy bio had promised, he aimed to please.
“What can I get for the two of you?” the barista asked, pulling Eric’s thoughts and attention to the girl waiting for their order.
He glanced at Evie. “Don’t disappoint me,” he said humorously, referencing the boring cup of coffee she’d mentioned.
A cute, daring smile flitted across her mouth before she looked back at the barista. “I’ll take a white chocolate mocha with an extra shot of espresso and whipped cream.”
Damn. Was it crazy that he was totally turned on by the fact that she hadn’t ordered one of those ridiculous skinny, nonfat, sugar-free lattes that made a mockery of a designer coffee? This was not a girl who’d opt for a salad if she was offered a burger or pizza, and thank God for that. His attraction to her just increased tenfold.
“I’ll have an Americano,” he said, and handed the girl his credit card.
Once they gave the barista their names for the drinks, they found a small, round vacant table and sat across from each other. He took another sincere look at her pretty features, and combined with her witty, engaging personality he wondered why some guy hadn’t already taken her off the market.
Then again, who was he to judge, when he’d made being single and avoiding anything more committed than sex an artform for his entire adult life?
Still, he was curious enough to ask. “So, the million-dollar question. Why would a beautiful woman like you need to hire a fake boyfriend?”
She exhaled a deep breath, prepared to enlighten him just as the barista called out their names for their drink orders. Before she could speak, he held up a finger to stop her.
“Hang on to that thought,” he said with a wink as he stood up. “I’ll be right back to hear your answer.”
CHAPTER THREE
Evie watched as Eric walked to the counter to retrieve their order, his stride confident enough to turn a few female heads, not that she could blame any of them for appreciating such masculine perfection. He was even better-looking than his profile pic, and she was still trying to recover from being on the receiving end of those striking green eyes, that breathtakingly sexy smile, and that flirtatious wink.
She pressed a hand to her stomach in hopes of calming the commotion happening inside. She wasn’t supposed to be experiencing butterflies. Being attracted to him was one thing . . . feeling like an infatuated schoolgirl was another considering this wasn’t a typical date. It was a meeting to discuss the part she needed him to play—a business transaction and nothing more.
As he headed back toward her with both of their drinks in hand, she regained her composure. By the time he sat down across from her again and she had her first sip of her caffeinated latte, she felt like she could carry on an intelligent conversation with him.
“I have to say, hiring someone to be my boyfriend isn’t something I’d normally do,” she said, not sure why she thought she had to justify her actions to him, but doing it anyway. Maybe because the scenario seemed so . . . desperate, and that’s the last thing she wanted him to think. Even if it was partially true.
His eyes twinkled at her from above the rim of his cup as he took a drink of his own coffee before replying. “And offering my services to imper
sonate a woman’s boyfriend isn’t something I’d normally do, either.”
She laughed at that. “You’re the one who signed up to be on the Boyfriend Experience app.”
The corner of his mouth quirked with humor. “Touché,” he said, as if there was more to his story than met the eye, but he didn’t share anything more.
Whatever his reasons for being on the app, she wasn’t about to judge. She figured he needed the money, or maybe he just enjoyed randomly dating women and playing the part of a doting boyfriend. Clearly there was a demand for that kind of service, and someone had to fulfill the requests.
“So, back to my question,” he said, leaning back casually in his seat, causing his shirt to tighten across his chest, just enough to hint at the toned body beneath. “Why would a beautiful woman like you need to hire a fake boyfriend?”
Her cheeks warmed at his flattery. He definitely had the charm part of his persona down pat, along with a sense of humor. He’d already proven to be kind and considerate by insisting to buy her drink, and overall, he was easy to be with. Maybe because this wasn’t a real date. She didn’t have to impress him since she’d be paying him to do a job, and there were no expectations between them other than what she required from him.
“To make a long story short, my ex cheated on me after four months together,” she said, getting the humiliating part of the story out of the way. “He was supposed to attend a family reunion with me over the Fourth of July weekend and meet my parents and relatives for the first time.”
Confusion furrowed his brows. “In four months together, they’ve never seen a picture of this guy?” he asked incredulously. “Or do I look like him?”
“Ahhh, no, to both questions,” she said, and explained. “He’s a social worker and doesn’t have any social media accounts, and I never sent a picture of him to my parents. But you do share the same first name. I figured you both being an Eric would make me less likely to mess up your name in front of my family.”
“Is that why you chose me?” he asked curiously, his gaze holding hers, warm and too damn tempting. “Because our names are the same?”
The Boyfriend Experience Page 2
